CA2266034A1

CA2266034A1 - Multicomponent tissue adhesive application device and holder for such device

Info

Publication number: CA2266034A1
Application number: CA002266034A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Freddy Zinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Omrix Biopharmaceuticals SA
Priority date: 1996-09-10
Filing date: 1997-09-09
Publication date: 1998-03-19
Also published as: WO1998010704A1; JP2001504716A; EP0925027A1; DE19636622C1; US6234994B1

Abstract

A multicomponent tissue adhesive device (10) provided with several reservoirs (14) respectively for a liquid component, each reservoir (14) presenting a front end (16,20) with an opening (18) enabling the liquid concerned to be dispensed. The front ends (16,20) of the reservoirs (14) are located in accommodating connecting pieces (42) of a connecting head piece (38).The connecting pieces (42) are provided with radially outward extending projecting parts (92). The reservoirs (14) are held by means of a holding device (52). The application device (10) is also provided with a coupling element (74) for releaseably connecting the holding device to the connecting head piece (38), wherein the coupling element (74) presents an encompassing part (76) with several encompassing areas (82) for at least partial encompassing of the accomodating connecting pieces (42) and mounting on the sides opposite the holding device (52) of the projecting parts (92) of the accomodating connecting pieces (42).

Description

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Hi/Dt Application device for aPplyinq a multicomponent tis~ue adhesive, and holdinq device for ~uch an aPPlication device The invention relates to an application device for applying a multicomponent tissue adhesive. The invention further relates to a holding device for keeping the supply reservoirs and a connecting headpiece, having the supply reservoirs coupled thereto, attached to each other.

An application device for applying a multicomponent tissue ad-hesive is known from US-A-4,874,368, US-A-4,978,336, US-A-5,104,375 and EP-B-0 037 393, respectively. In these known application devices, the two supply reservoirs containing the adhesive components are held together by a holding device which makes it possible to hold the application device between the fingers of a hand and to operate the device by one hand.
The conically tapering outlet connecting pieces of the two supply reservoirs are inserted into the accommodating connect-ing pieces of a connecting headpiece, wherein the accommodat-ing connecting pieces are arranged as syringes with cylinders and pistons. Since these outlet connecting pieces have an in-ner cone of the same angle as the outer cone of the supply-reservoir outlet connecting pieces, the connecting pieces of the supply reservoir become wedged with those of the connect-ing headpiece, thus resulting in a certain axial securing ef-. CA 02266034 1999-03-0~

fect of this coupling connection. However, this axial reten-tive force may be too small if the channels extending through the connecting headpiece from the accommodating connecting pieces up to a common discharge end are clogged. Thus, when-actuating the pistons, the connecting headpiece may become detached from the supply reservoirs because of the pressure build-up within the supply reservoirs, rendering the applica-tion device inoperable.

For this reason, it is provided in another known application device described in WO-A-95/31137 that the connecting head is mechanically secured by a coupling element on the holding device to thus preclude undesired detachment from the outlet connecting pieces of the supply reservoirs. The coupling ele-ment of this known application device is lockingly inserted into openings of the connecting headpiece and the holding device. Although this connection is mechanically reliable, it can be released only with difficulties, which can be desirable e.g. to allow a quick refill of the supply reservoirs. In the commercially available tissue adhesive application system Duploject (Duploject is a registered trademark) of the Immuno company the connecting headpiece has a connecting strip elas-tically attached thereto, wherein the free end of the connect-ing strip facing away from the connecting headpiece is provid-ed with a bore. The free end is adapted~for mounting on a pin of the holding device. The mechanical connecting of the con-necting strip to the holding device requires a certain preci-sion in handling, which may be disturbing.

It is the object of the invention to provide an application device and a holding device for this application device where-in the connecting headpiece can be releasably connected to the holding device of the supply reservoirs for thus securing it against unintended detachment from the supply reservoirs, and wherein this mechanical connection, although providing a safe . CA 02266034 1999-03-0~

hold, can be released and established easily and without prob-lems.

For solving the above object, the invention provides an appli-cation device comprising - a plurality of supply reservoirs for respectively one flu-id component, particularly a tissue adhesive component, each supply reservoir having a front end with an opening for discharge of the respective fluid component and a rear end opposite to the front end, and a piston arranged for sliding displacement in the supply reservoir, with the piston comprising a piston rod projecting from the rear end and having an actuating end for actuating the piston, - a connecting headpiece having accommodating connecting pieces for the front ends of the supply reservoirs, the connecting headpiece having channels for the individual fluid components extending therethrough between the inlet openings thereof and a discharge end for simultaneous dis-charge of all fluid components, and the accommodating con-necting pieces being provided with radially outward pro-jections, - a holding device for holding the supply reservoirs in the region of their rear ends, the holding device being adapt-ed to be positioned between the fingers of a hand, and - a coupling element for releasably connecting the holding device to the connecting headpiece, the coupling element comprising an encompassing member with a plurality of en-compassing zones for at least partially encompassing the accommodating connecting pieces and for abutment on the sides of the projections of the accommodating connecting pieces facing away from the holding device.

The holding device according to the invention is provided with - a holding device for holding supply reservoirs for the individual fluid components, the holding device being ad-apted to be positioned between the fingers'of a hand, and CA 02266034 1999-03-0~

- a coupling element for releasably connecting the holding device to a connecting headpiece which is adapted to have the supply reservoirs coupled thereto and which is provid-ed for simultaneous discharge of all fluid components, - the coupling element comprising an encompassing member with a plurality of encompassing zones for partially en-compassing connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece provided with outer projections, and for gripping engage-ment behind the outer projections of the connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece.

According to the invention, the application device comprises a coupling element, connected with the holding device, which is provided with an encompassing member arranged to encompass accommodating connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece at least partially and particularly through a peripheral angular range between about 200~ and 300~. In doing so, the encompass-ing member is in engagement behind projections arranged on the accommodating connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece;
thus, the encompassing member is in abutment on that side of these projections which is facing away from the holding de-vice. In this manner, the encompassing member prevents a de-tachment of the connecting headpiece from the outlet connect-ing pieces of the supply reservoir.

The positioning of the encompassing member can be performed in a particularly simple manner if the encompassing zones sur-rounding the accommodating connecting pieces are elastic so that the encompassing member can be mounted to the accommodat-ing connecting pieces from the side. Because of the elastic resiliency of the encompassing zones, arranged particularly as C-shaped brackets extending around the accommodating connect-ing pieces through 200~ to 300~, the encompassing member in its mounted condition is kept from undesirably sliding later-ally off the accommodating connecting pieces.

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Preferably, the encompassing member is connected to the hold-ing device by a connecting member which is particularly pro-vided as a preferably round rod. Thus, in this case, the cou-pling element comprises two parts, of which one, i.e. the en-compassing member, cooperates with the connecting headpiece, and the other part, i.e. the connecting member, is provided for the mechanical connection between the encompassing member and the holding device. The connecting member is suitably in-tegrally formed with the encompassing member. The connecting member has a free end adapted for connection with the holding device against unintended detachment. For this purpose, the free end is provided with at least one and preferably a plu-rality of locking projections arranged for engagement behind the edge of an opening in the holding device. The connecting member can be inserted into the opening of the holding device to a larger or smaller extent so that the distance of the en-compassing member from the holding device can be suitably se-lected corresponding to the respective conditions. Normally, for application devices having supply reservoirs which are different in their diameter and axial length, use has to made of different holding devices because the syringe bodies are usually supported on the holding devices by clamping attach-ment, i.e. the latter are adapted to the diameter of the sy-ringe bodies; because of the variability of the length and due to the fact that application devices operated with different syringe bodies can be used with the same connecting pieces, the selfsame coupling element can be used in all of these ap-plication devices.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the holding dev~ce comprises grip-under projec-tions projecting from the plane of the supply reservoirs held by the holding device, and that the holding device is provided with holding receiving portions arranged to have the supply reservoirs pressed and/or locked thereinto.

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In the above embodiment of the invention, the grip-under pro-jections extend out of the plane defined by the substantially cylindrical supply reservoirs and their longitudinal axes, respectively, or - other words - extend at right angles to-this plane. Thereby, the distance existing between the index and middle fingers when these are in gripping engagement under the projections while holding the application device during discharge of adhesive, is considerably reduced in comparison to known devices and holding means, which noticeably facili-tates the handling particularly for persons who have small hands.

In addition to the function of holding the supply reservoirs in position relative to each other, the holding device accord-ing to this embodiment of the invention fulfills the objective to allow the whole application device to be easily held by hand by having one's index and middle fingers gripping under the projections of the holding device. The (grip-under) pro-jections suitably extend only in the region between adjacent supply reservoirs and resp. adjacent holding receiving por-tions of the holding device. Inserting the supply reservoirs is extremely simple since they merely have to be (laterally) pressed and/or locked into the holding receiving portions. It is not required to axially move and/or twist the supply res-ervoirs into a end position for holding so as to lock them to the holding device.

The holding device can be advantageously configured in the manner of a holding clip comprising elastically formed receiv-ing portions for insertion or removal of the supply reser-voirs. These receiving portions are suitably C-shaped, with each C-shaped receiving portion (also referred to as a clamp hereafter) extending through more than 180~ and gripping the associated supply reservoir by clamping. These open holding receiving portions allow the supply reservoirs to be easily and simply pressed thereinto, to be held by clamping thereaf-CA 02266034 1999-03-0~

ter because of the elasticity of the receiving portions. The openings of the receiving portions can be directed to sides averted from each other or to a common side of the holding device, or they are oriented at a different other angle. The grip-under projections are located between the openings of the holding receiving portions without obstructing the access to the openings.

In the above described embodiment, the holding device is ar-ranged for sliding displacement on the supply reservoirs. For limiting the movement of the holding device towards the rear end of the supply reservoirs which have a respective piston rod projecting therefrom, cooperating stoppers are provided on the holding device and the rear end of the supply reservoirs.
On the supply reservoirs, these stoppers are the mutually averted flanges of the syringe bodies, which flanges are a customary part of the syringe bodies. These flanges will have the holding device abutting thereon so that a further relative movement towards the ends of the piston rods is excluded.

The connecting headpieces mostly used in application devices o the presently discussed type are normally provided, in addi-tion to the channels for the components of the tissue adhe-sive, with a channel for a medical gas (oxygen). Also this gas channel comprises a gas connector and a gas outlet on the dis-charge end of the connecting headpiece.

Suitably, the discharge end of the connecting headpiece has a cannula or a catheter connected thereto. In case of a multi-lumen arrangement of this catheter or resp. cannula, care must be taken to have the lumina on the discharge end of the con-necting head arranged flush with the component channels and resp. the gas channel.

By way of alternative to a cannula and resp. a catheter, the connecting headpiece can be connected also to a spraying head CA 02266034 1999-03-0~

and resp. a spraying device by which the components can be mixed and sprayed. The atomization of the components can be performed in a purely mechanical manner (by a corresponding configuration of the discharge openings) or by use of a medi--cal gas.

The embodiments of the invention described above in connection with the application device pertain as well to the holding device as such which likewise forms part of the invention.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained hereunder in greater detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the application device with a hand shown in chain-dotted lines in its gripping position for holding and actuating the application device, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the application device taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the coupling element and the holding device.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an application device 10 for multi-component tissue adhesives. Application device 10 comprises two supply reservoirs in the form of usual commercially avail-able syringes 12 for solutions of proteins and blood-coagula-tion-promoting coagulation factors of a two-component tissue adhesive. Each syringe is provided with a hollow cylindrical syringe body 14 comprising a front end 16 with and outlet opening-18 and a connecting piece 20, and an open rear end 22.
Each syringe body 14 has arranged therein a piston 24 which is in sealing abutment on the inner surface of syringe body 14 and is held by a piston rod 26 guided out of syringe body 14 through the rear end 22. The piston rods 26 extend respective-ly in the longitudinal dimension of the syringe bodies 14 (cf.

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the longitudinal axes 28 - outlined in the Figures - of the syringe bodies 14). The free ends 30 of the piston rods 26 facing way from the piston 24 are provided with annular flang-es 32. The annular flanges 32 are mechanically connected to each other by a connecting element 34. Connecting element 34 is provided with two holding receiving portions 36 which are laterally open and suited for insertion of the annular flanges 32.

The slightly conical connecting pieces 20 on the front ends 16 of the syringe bodies 14 have a connecting headpiece 38 moun-ted thereon. Connecting headpiece 38 iS provided with inte-grally formed channels 40 extending therethrough, indicated by chain-dotted lines, which channels, on their accommodating connecting pieces 42 facing towards the syringe bodies 14, are arranged at corresponding distances from the connecting head-pieces 20 of the syringe bodies 14, and on their discharge end 44 facing away from the syringe bodies 14 are arranged immedi-ately adjacent each other. Further, connecting headpiece 38 iS
formed with a further channel 46 connected to a hose 48 for the supply of a medical gas (e.g. ~2) Also this channel ends on the discharge end 44 in the immediate vicinity of the two other channels 40. The connecting headpiece 38 iS provided with a three-lumen catheter 50 having its three lumina ar-ranged flush with the three channels 40 and 46 of connecting headpiece 38.

As evident from the Figures, the two syringe bodies 14 are connected to each other by a clip holding device 52 (hereunder referred to as a holding element). The holding element 52 iS
provided with two C-shaped holding clamps 54 having their openings 56 facing away from each other and being connected to each other in their central portions (cf. also Fig. 2). The openings 56 are oriented in the direction of the extension of the plane 58 in which the longitudinal axes 28 of the syringe bodies 14 are arranged. Connected to the holding clamps 54 are CA 02266034 l999-03-0 grip-under projections 60. These projections 60 extend in mu-tually opposite directions and are turned at an angle of 90~
relative to the two holding clamps 54 or the openings 56 of the clamps. Thus, the two projections 60 respectively project-at right angles from the plane 58 in which the longitudinal axes 28 of the syringe bodies 14 are arranged while held by the holding element 52 and resp. in which the longitudinal axes of the clamps 54 extend while coinciding with the longi-tudinal axes 28 of the syringe bodies 14. Therefore, the pro-jections 60 extend in opposite directions along the axis of symmetry 62 of the dual clamp arrangement (cf. also Fig. 2).

The syringe bodies 14 are supported on the holding element 52 for sliding displacement because the resilient elastic holding clamps 54 extend by more than 180~ and preferably by up to 200~ around the syringe body 14, thus encompassing the syringe body with a clamping force which allows for a displacement.
Holding element 52 iS arranged in abutment on laterally pro-jecting flanges 64 on the rear ends 22 of the syringe bodies 14, thus providing for a stopper between holding element 52 and syringe body 14. The axial extension of the holding ele-ment 52 and particularly of the holding clamps 54 iS dimens-ioned such that the measuring scale arranged externally on the syringe bodies 14 iS left visible and unobstructed.

The whole device 10 inclusive of the connecting head 38 iS
made of plastic.

The position of the hand when manipulating the device 10 for holding and actuating it is outlined in Fig. 1. The device 10, i.e. the dual syringe arrangement of device 10, is held be-tween the index and middle fingers 66,68 of a hand 70 while the thumb 72 of hand 70 is in abutment on connecting element 34. The projections 60 of holding element 52 are engaged thereunder by the index and middle fingers 66,68 of the hand 70, i.e. the fingers abut the side of projections 60 facing CA 02266034 l999-03-0~

away from connecting element 34. When pressing on the connect-ing element 34 by means of the thumb 72, the pistons 24 are advanced in the direction towards the front ends 16 of the syringe bodies 14, with the holding element 52 being acted on by the flanges 64 in the manner of an abutment or stopper. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the index and middle fingers 66,68 need only be spread by a width corresponding to the outer diameter of the syringe body 14 for handling the device 10. This is noticeably easier than having one's fingers 66,68 spread by the amount of the largest transverse dimension of device 10 (i.e. by twice the outer diameter of the syringe bodies 14 plus the distance between the two syringe bodies 14). Thus, the device 10 as described herein and illustrated in the draw-ings is easily handled particularly by persons with small fin-gers.

As evident from Figs. 1 and 2, the holding element 52 and the connecting headpiece 38 are connected to each other by a cou-pling element 74. The coupling element 74 comprises an encom-passing member 76 and a connecting member 78 which integrally connected thereto and has its free end 80 connected to the holding element 52 (cf. also Fig. 3). The encompassing member 76 comprises two encompassing zones 82 formed respectively as resiliently elastic round brackets 84 extending at an angle of up to 270~ and being open at 86. Both openings 86 are facing substantially in the same direction. The two round brackets 84 are integrally connected to each other by a crossbar 88.

The two openings 86 of the encompassing member 76 are adapted to mount the latter to the accommodating connecting pieces 42 of the connecting headpiece 38 from the side. In the process, the round brackets 84 are brought into engagement behind radi-al pro~ections 90 formed on the accommodating connecting piec-es 42 and provided as male portions of a luer lock device.
When the connecting member 78 has been fixedly connected to the holding element 52 and the encompassing member 76 has been CA 02266034 l999-03-0~

mounted to the accommodating connecting piece 42, the connect-ing headpiece 3 8 is thus secured against undesired detachment from the connecting piece 20 of syringe body 14.

As shown in Fig.3, the free end 80 of connecting member 78 iS
provided with a plurality of locking projections 92. The coupling of the connecting member 78 to the holding element 52 is performed by inserting the free (locking) end 80 of the connecting member 78 into a bore 94 of the holding element 52.
This bore 94 iS formed in one of the two gripping (grip-under) projections 60 of holding element 52, notably in the (inner) region 96 of projection 60, wherein this region 96 iS limited by the two C-shaped holding clamps 54 and their back portion 57. The locking projections 92 are hooked in the bore 94 and resp. are in engagement behind its edge near the side of hold-ing element 52 facing away from encompassing member 76. The farther the free end 80 of connecting member 78 in shifted through the bore 94, the more the distance between the encom-passing member 76 and the holding element 52 is reduced. Thus, the effective length of the coupling element 74 can be adapted to the distance between the radial projections 90 of the con-necting headpiece 3 8 (which are to be engaged by the encompas-sing member 76 therebehind) and the flanges 64 of the syringe bodies 14 (whereon the holding element 52 should abut).

Claims

1. An application device for applying a multicomponent tissue adhesive, comprising - a plurality of supply reservoirs (14) for respectively one fluid component, particularly a tissue adhesive component, each supply reservoir (14) having a front end (16,20) with an opening (18) for discharge of the respective fluid component and a rear end (22) opposite to the front end, and a piston (24) arranged for sliding displacement in the supply reservoir (14), with the piston comprising a piston rod projecting from the rear end (22) and having an actuating end for actuating the piston (24), - a connecting headpiece (38) having accommodating connecting pieces (42) for the front ends (16,20) of the supply reservoirs (14), the connecting headpiece (38) having channels (40,46) for the individual fluid components extending therethrough between the accommodating connecting pieces (42) thereof and a discharge end (44) for simultaneous discharge of all fluid components, and the accommodating connecting pieces (42) being provided with radially outward projections (90), - a holding device (52) for holding the supply reservoirs (14) in the region of their rear ends (22), the holding device (52) being adapted to be positioned between the fingers (66,68) of a hand (70), and - a coupling element (74) for releasably connecting the holding device (52) to the connecting headpiece (38), the coupling element (74) comprising an encompassing member (76) with a plurality of encompassing zones (82) for at least partially encompassing the accommodating connecting pieces (42) and for abutment on the sides of the projections (92) of the accommodating connecting pieces (42) facing away from the holding device (52).

2. The application device according to claim 1, characterized in that the encompassing zones (82) are elastic to allow lateral mounting on the accommodating connecting pieces (42).

3. The application device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each encompassing zone (82) comprises an elastic bracket (84) extending along an angular range between about 200° and about 300°.

4. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each encompassing zone (82) is provided as a curved bracket (84) and that all of these brackets (84) are connected to each other.

5. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coupling element (74) comprises a connecting member (78) which is connected to the encompassing member (76) and the holding device (52).

6. The application device according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting member (78) is integrally connected to the encompassing member (76) and comprises an end (80) facing away from the encompassing member (76) and provided with at least one locking projection (92) for locking connection to the holding device (52).

7. The application device according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises a locking hole (94) adapted for insertion of the end (80) of the connecting member (78) provided with the at least one locking projection (92) to thus preclude undesired detachment.

8. The application device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the connecting member (78) comprises a plurality of locking projections (92) arranged in series in the longitudinal extension of the connecting member (78).

9. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the projections (90) of the accommodating connecting pieces (42) of the connecting head-piece (28) are arranged as annular flanges.

10. The application device according to claim 9, characterized in that the annular flanges are arranged as male luer lock devices.

11. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises protruding projections (60) facing away from each other and adapted to be gripped thereunder by the fingers (66, 68) of a hand (70), and that the projections (60) extend out of the plane (58) in which the supply reservoirs (14) held by the holding device (52) are arranged.

12. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises holding receiving portions for pressing and/or locking the supply reservoirs (14) therein.

13. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the holding device (52) and the supply reservoirs (14) are provided with stopper means for limiting a relative movement of the holding device (52) and the supply reservoirs (14) in the direction of the rear ends (22) of the supply reservoirs.

14. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the supply reservoirs (14) are held by the holding device (52) for slidable displacement therein.

15. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the supply reservoirs (14) have their rear ends (22) provided with projecting flanges (64) adapted to be contacted by the holding devices (52).

16. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the holding device ( 52) comprises two mutually connected and symmetrically arranged C-shaped clamps (54) which are open towards sides facing away from each other, for clamping engagement around two supply reservoirs (14) along respectively more than 180°, and that the two mutually connected C-shaped clamps (54) have connected thereto two projections (60) facing away from each other and extending along the axis of symmetry (62) of the two C-shaped clamps (54).

17. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the piston rods (26) assigned to the supply reservoirs (14) are connected to each other by a connecting element (34) to thus be actuated together.

18. The application device according to claim 17, characterized in that the connecting element (34) comprises laterally open receiving spaces (36) to be shifted onto flanges (32) arranged on the free ends (30) of the piston rod (26).

19. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the coupling element and/or the holding device (52) are made of an elastic material, particularly a plastic material.

20. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the connecting headpiece (38) comprises a gas connector for the supply of a medical gas, and a channel (46) extending from the gas connector to the discharge end (44).

21. The application device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the discharge end (44) of the connecting headpiece (38) has connected thereto a cannula, particularly a catheter (50).

22. A holding device for an application device for applying a multicomponent fluid, particularly a multicomponent tissue adhesive, comprising - a holding device (52) arranged to hold supply reservoirs (14) for the individual fluid components, the holding device (52) being adapted to be positioned between the fingers (66,68) of a hand (70), and - a coupling element (74) for releasably connecting the holding device (52) to a connecting headpiece (38) which is arranged to have the supply reservoirs (14) coupled thereto and which is provided for the simultaneous discharge of all fluid components, - the coupling element (74) comprising an encompassing member (76) with a plurality of encompassing zones (82) arranged to partially encompass connecting pieces (42) of the connecting headpiece (38) provided with outer projections (90), and for gripping engagement behind the outer projections (90) of the connecting pieces (42) of the connecting headpiece.

23. The holding device according to claim 22, characterized in that the encompassing zones (82) are elastic to allow lateral mounting on the connecting pieces (42).

24. The holding device according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that each encompassing zone (82) comprises an elastic bracket (84) extending along an angular range between about 200° and about 300°.

25. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that each encompassing zone (82) is provided as a curved bracket (84) and that all of these brackets (84) are connected to each other.

26. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that the coupling element (74) comprises a connecting member (78) which is connected to the encompassing member (76) and the holding device (52).

27. The holding device according to claim 26, characterized in that the connecting member (78) is integrally connected to the encompassing member (76) and comprises an end (80) facing away from the encompassing member (76) and provided with at least one locking projection (92) for locking connection to the holding device (52).

28. The holding device according to claim 26, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises a locking hole (94) adapted for insertion of the end (80) of the connecting member (78) provided with the at least one locking projection (92) to thus preclude undesired detachment.

29. The holding device according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that the connecting member (78) comprises a plurality of locking projections (92) arranged in series in the longitudinal extension of the connecting member (78).

30. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 29, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises protruding projections (60) facing away from each other and adapted to be gripped thereunder by the fingers (66, 68) of a hand (70), and that the projections (60) extend out of the plane (58) in which the supply reservoirs (14) held by the holding device (52) are arranged.

31. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 30, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises holding receiving portions for pressing and/or locking the supply reservoirs (14) therein.

32. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 31, characterized in that the holding device (52) is arranged to abut against stoppers on the supply reservoirs (14).

33. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 32, characterized in that the supply reservoirs (14) are held by the holding device (52) for slidable displacement therein.

34. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 23, characterized in that the holding device (52) comprises two mutually connected and symmetrically arranged C-shaped clamps (54) which are open towards sides facing away from each other, for clamping engagement around two supply reservoirs (14) along respectively more than 180°, and that the two mutually connected C-shaped clamps (54) have connected thereto two projections (60) facing away from each other and extending along the axis of symmetry (62) of the two C-shaped clamps (54).

35. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 34, characterized in that, in supply reservoirs (14) comprising respectively one piston (24) and a piston rod (26) carrying the piston, a connecting element (34) is provided for connecting the free ends (30) of the piston rods (26).

36. The holding device according to claim 35, characterized in that the connecting element (34) comprises laterally open receiving spaces (36) to be shifted onto flanges (32) arranged on the free ends (30) of the piston rod (26).

37. The holding device according to any one of claims 22 to 36, characterized in that the holding device (52) and/or the coupling element (74) are made of an elastic material, particularly a plastic material.